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This extreme winter has taught us, among other things, that no one is beyond adversity, writes Carol Goar. (Victor Biro / Victor Biro)

It helps to have money to book a hotel room, buy a generator or hire an electrician. But no one is immune to nature’s blasts. Rich and poor experience the same sinking feeling when the lights flicker and die; the same helplessness when water pipes burst; the same ache when fingers and toes turn white with cold. What this winter’s successive blasts did was concentrate all these woes in a short period, giving Torontonians a taste of vulnerability that the poor, homeless and unemployed experience every day.

Lesson one: No one is beyond the reach of adversity. Even the most privileged household is dependent on the urban infrastructure and public workers that cost-cutting politicians and tight-fisted taxpayers so often denigrate.

Lesson two: Neighbours do a much better job of making the city livable in the first days of an emergency than do governments or social agencies. Without being asked or organized, people checked on their neighbours; invited them in if they had power, a gas fireplace or a generator; took over warm food if their ovens worked; made sure they weren’t alone and forgotten. This kind of help — unlike the well-intentioned grocery card handout that Premier Kathleen Wynne organized — tapped into Torontonians’ best instincts.

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That does not mean government programs are unnecessary. But it is caring friends, neighbours and volunteers who shape a city’s character.

Lesson three: Civic leaders should refrain from congratulating themselves on the fine job they’re doing when residents lack essential services. It’s true that Toronto Hydro employees — and their counterparts from Windsor, Ottawa and Manitoba — worked 16 hours a day to restore power. It is true that they deserved gratitude and praise for giving up their Christmas to get Torontonians reconnected. But the time for public thanks is after the ordeal.

A relieved and appreciative city was ready to join Toronto Hydro CEO Anthony Haines on Dec. 30 when he choked up at a news conference expressing how proud he was of his employees. Until then, it would have been wiser if he, the mayor and other executives had done their back-patting privately.

Lesson four: Petty politics has no place in crisis management. Most councillors knew enough to hold their fire when the city was struggling to get back on its feet. But Karen Stinz, expected to launch a mayoral bid shortly, used the city’s New Year’s levee to impugn Mayor Rob Ford for failing to provide leadership in the ice storm.

In fact, Ford stripped of most of his authority to act in emergencies, did a relatively good job of updating Torontonians on the recovery effort and keeping out of the way of Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, who was calling the shots. By taking a cheap shot at the chastened mayor, Stinz raised more questions about her judgment than his behaviour.

Lesson five: Those in the greatest need should be helped first when a critical piece of infrastructure fails. Too many elderly people and individuals with disabilities were left shivering in the dark, while hydro crews strove to get the maximum number of customers reconnected to the grid in the days following the ice storm.

The next time a major power outage occurs — and there undoubtedly will be a next time, as climate change triggers more weather extremes — emergency responders need to know where vulnerable residents are, whether they need help and how to reach them. City councillors could start compiling lists for their wards right now, tapping into the knowledge of social agencies, charities, community groups and local volunteers.

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Most of these lessons are familiar. But as the city heads into what promises to be a tumultuous year, it is important remember that Toronto is bigger than its politicians and more resilient than its infrastructure.

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